News & Events

Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is a staple crop across the global south, yet modern varieties may have limited genetic diversity due to historical bottlenecks. We investigated the genomic diversity of over 1000 cassava genotypes, incorporating 387 newly sequenced Colombian landraces originating from diverse climates. We hypothesized that landraces retain untapped variation useful for breeding and adaptation. Whole-genome sequencing was used to characterize landraces and breeding lines.

Global agricultural innovator Pairwise has announced a landmark licensing agreement with Ball Horticultural Company to apply its Fulcrum® CRISPR genome editing platform to the ornamental plant market. This partnership marks the first time the Fulcrum® technology will be utilized outside of food and staple crops, granting Ball access to precision breeding tools for more than 40 ornamental species, including roses, petunias, and hydrangeas.

New evidence and expert discussions highlight how climate change and rice production systems are converging to influence the spread of vector-borne diseases such as malaria and schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa, underscoring the need for integrated solutions across agriculture and public health sectors. Despite decades of investment, malaria remains a leading cause of death in the region, claiming an estimated 600,000 lives annually, 76% of which are children under five.

Sympetaly (fused petals) is a key morphological innovation that has arisen multiple times during evolution. It occurs via one of two developmental pathways: late sympetaly (from initially separate petal primordia that later fuse) or early sympetaly (directly from a shared ring-like primordium). Nevertheless, the genetic basis of corolla tube formation in early-sympetalous lineages remains largely unknown.

Scientists at Keele University have developed the first detailed map of genetic “switches” that control reproduction in disease-carrying insects. The study, published in Communications Biology, provides a key resource for developing more precise and effective genetic control strategies. The researchers examined cis-regulatory elements (CREs), short DNA sequences that determine when and where genes are activated.

The benchmark of world food commodity prices rose in April for a third consecutive month amid elevated energy costs and disruptions caused by the conflict in the Near East, according to the latest release by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 130.7 points in April, up 1.6 percent from its revised March level and 2.0 percent higher than a year ago.

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) is a severe disease caused by the combined infection of maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) and a potyvirus, most often sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV). This disease seriously threatens food security across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We investigated a major-effect quantitative trait locus for resistance on chromosome 6, named the maize lethal necrosis susceptibility locus 1 (qMLNS1), derived from the Thai line KS23-6. Fine mapping and CRISPR-Cas9 editing of the candidate genes within the narrowed 105 kb interval revealed a peroxisomal peptidase as the underlying cause of susceptibility

Pairwise, a global leader in precision breeding, has announced a major commercial licensing agreement with CSIRO, Australia's national science agency. This partnership grants CSIRO access to the Fulcrum® platform, a sophisticated suite of CRISPR-based gene editing tools, including the proprietary SHARC™ enzyme. The agreement marks one of the most comprehensive licenses issued by Pairwise to date, spanning applications across plants, livestock, aquaculture, and microbes.

Newcastle disease (ND) is endemic in traditional poultry farming in Burkina Faso. Despite government's efforts, international organizations and farmer associations in supporting vaccination campaigns, the use of vaccines by farmers remains limited. A cross-sectional survey was carried out from August to September 2023 to understand the determinants of ND vaccination uptake in the commune of Boussouma (Kuilsé region of Burkina Faso). Structured interviews were conducted with 483 households keeping chickens from 23 villages. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were carried out to identify the factors that influence the uptake of ND vaccines by farmers

In this study, we investigated the genetic control of dwarfism in naturally occurring dwarf mutant lines of grapevines. Through trait–segregation and marker–trait association analyses, we identified a major locus on Chromosome 14 tightly associated with the dwarf trait. Subsequently, we conducted a bulked RNA-seq analysis, fine mapped the dwarf trait and identified VviBR6OX1, a cytochrome P450 enzyme involved in brassinosteroid synthesis, as a candidate gene for the observed dwarfism.

Researchers at the University of Tsukuba have identified a gene, SlIAA9, that plays a critical role in allowing tomato seeds to germinate under extreme heat. While high temperatures typically trigger dormancy or cause physical abnormalities in standard tomato seedlings, plants lacking this gene showed a remarkable ability to maintain high germination rates and healthy growth.

A new joint report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the African Union Commission (AUC) highlights the enormous gap between current public and private financing of agriculture and the level of financing needed to transform Africa’s agrifood systems. It also affirms the continuing rise in hunger and food insecurity across Africa, underscoring the urgency for substantial and sustained financing to transform agrifood systems.